Nina's boudoir once again fell silent after the couple's another magically charged session. Only the sounds of deep breaths and suppressed chortles could be heard. As dawn broke, the two rankers realized they had spent the night together.
Nina turned to her right while lying on her back and looked at a tired-looking Eren. The latter was staring at her breasts which were restless because of her quick and deep breaths. There was still unmasked hunger in his eyes.
"I… I thought you were very "active" in my absence. What's with this increased libido as if you are not getting enough of it?"
Nina asked with a voice mixed with exhaustion before snapping her fingers once again.
Snap!
Nina made use of her Ability once again to recover from another round of Lust-induced epiphany. Eren had gotten better at controlling this peculiar state of epiphany after his first attempt. Thus, she wasn't as tired as the first time. However, that didn't mean that her problems ended there.
Snap!
Eren used the same Ability to recover himself as well. The healer was so amazed by his capabilities that she was lost for words. She could only look at Eren with a mixed set of emotions reflecting in her eyes.
There was one more thing that she hadn't realized before. Her ranking status was making steady progress because of the new elemental comprehensions she gained from Eren.
The butcher himself had gained varying elemental attainments in water from his victims and Lensa. Thus, gaining his elemental attainments served Nina well in deepening her understanding of the element.
Eren stopped looking at Aunt Nina's naked body by averting his gaze. The Sin Series Ability was taking hold of him because of his overindulgence in using it. And he knew that too much of anything was unwise. Even one's gains need to be obtained in moderation. Otherwise, they would cause more harm than good.
Eren shook his head as if trying to get rid of a stubborn thought stuck in his head. He sat upright on the bed and entered meditation mode to get rid of the effects of his Ability on him.
The Rootless technique made it easy for Eren to control his vital signs. It took Eren only a few minutes before he returned to normal. The side effect of using his Ability was eliminated, and he could think normally without getting influenced by the voices in his head.
After hitting a reset on himself, Eren opened his eyes and found Nina looking at him with curious expressions-- as if asking the same question using her eyes as a medium. She had gotten fresh in the meantime and was in her nightgown.
Eren smiled before answering her.
"It's the side effect of using my Ability way past its normal limit, aunt Nina. I know when to stop so there's no problem."
Eren then looked outside Nina's room through her sealed windows. He thought of taking fresh air into his lungs before doing anything else.
Lightning struck and Eren appeared at Nina's deck outside the room. He welcomed the first rays of the sun on his naked body and felt rejuvenated.
He was forced to overindulge in the sin of Lust a bit but overall his plan was a success. He had successfully obtained Nina's Ability for himself without using his devouring. Now he had other ways to get the rankers' quirks for himself instead of killing them.
'Hmm. This method is very different from my devouring Ability. It has… obvious restrictions.
But what it lacks in inclusivity, it makes up for it by giving me a nonviolent way of obtaining Abilities. I guess I should visit Lensa one of these days to see if it works on her as well.'
With various thoughts swirling inside his head, Eren lit up his Sativa Smoke and started smoking as he looked at the lush green valley in front of him. The butcher had gained a new avenue of obtaining Abilities. And he wasn't planning on wasting the opportunity.
Nina appeared beside Eren in her white nightgown that revealed her ample cleavage. The satin-like cloth hugged her body nicely and accentuated her curves. The loose-fitting form gave her a relaxed vibe.
Nina had been given a brief explanation about his Ability by Eren. He had left many blank spots in the explanation. However, the healer knew that it was intentional and didn't prod him further.
Only now did she realize why Eren was asking her about the Abilities and otherworldly mana on their previous date before coming to the Nightshade Duchy. He wanted an in-depth explanation about them from her because he wanted to understand his own powers better.
Nina looked at Eren and closed the distance between them. She slipped into his embrace, rested her head on his chest, and listened to his steady beat before commenting.
"Erni, be careful in using these Abilities on others. The whole of Anfang will deem you as a rebel and heretic if they get exposed."
Nina voiced her concerns in a low voice. She was happy for Eren that he could gain her Ability. After all, this Ability had allowed her to turn the table on her opponents so many times. It was like a trump card that would work in every situation against any enemy he would face in the future. As such, he named it Instant Reset.
Of course, the use of Nina's Ability had its limits. But her Ability would serve as a very effective offense in the form of a counter, an effective defense in the form of self-healing, and a convenient way out for Eren in case he was caught in a pinch. Very few Abilities in the world could do that for their casters.
The Ability could also help him heal his allies. Thus, its usefulness would get enhanced when he started using his summons.
Nina was more surprised by Eren's Ability to copy Abilities from other people than by the whens and hows of the whole thing. She had never heard of anyone possessing Abilities like him even outside of Edinburgh.
